Spruced in a snap

IT'S attention to detail and pristine presentation that's getting the sale in a competitive property market.

House

FROM rearranging mismatched furniture to providing a prop box of home wares and hiring professional photographers and script-writers - it's this attention to detail and pristine presentation that's getting the sale in Townsville's competitive property market according to real estate agents.

"When I visit a vendor for the first time I'm very honest about what needs to happen to make their property market-ready," Elite Properties sales professional Nick Vincent said, the Townsville Bulletin reports.

"We work very hard behind the scenes before we even list a house because it is all about first impressions which in my experience could mean a $10,000 to $15,000 price difference."

Mr Vincent said the first step is to de-clutter the home by removing excess furniture, reorganising homewares and storing away personal belonging - before bringing in a few modern props.

"It's called dressing the house and might involve refurnishing the main rooms like the master bedroom, living area and patio with paintings on the walls, brighter coverings on the beds or windows and adding a few feature ornaments," he said.

"Minor improvements might be suggested such as a coat of paint or professional cleaning - but gone are the days of major renovations because today's buyer can see the potential themselves."

Mr Vincent then brings in his team of experts, including professional photographer Neil Chan whose job it is to take flawless photographs to use in advertising for newspaper and online.

"I start by talking with the agent about the features they want emphasised and try to showcase those in the most attractive way," Mr Chan said.

"The key is well-lit photos which is achieved by removing shadows using different exposures, professional lighting and selecting the best time of the day to take pictures which is different for each home."

The owner of Top Snap, a mobile real estate photography business, keeps the process as real to life as possible but sometimes Photoshop is necessary.

"I use it if the homeowners have moved out because empty houses are often too stark so I digitally paste in furniture which helps buyers see themselves living in the property or if rental tenants refuse to remove furniture which doesn't match or they won't clean up rubbish we can easily just erase it without any issues," Mr Chan said.

The copy comes next with script-writer Karen Jamison, a marketing and media veteran, completing a 20-minute walk through of the property before putting pen to paper.

"My job is to convey to people how it feels to be in the home without them actually stepping a foot inside," Ms Jamison said.

"I don't use fluffy descriptions because you have to be as honest as possible as people are just too savvy today you can't write 'needs love and attention' otherwise they assume there's something wrong."

Once the photos and copy are complete the property is ready to market - Mr Vincent believes while internet is a must print still reigns supreme.

"People who are serious buyers grab the paper on the weekend, they circle their favorite properties and go from there."

The real estate agent believes seller success still depends on selecting the right agency because they have the contacts, the databases and the know-how.

"The wrong agent can cost you a lot of money," he said.

"Some people try to sell their homes themselves but they are too emotionally involved, they often find it too difficult to negotiate or correctly value their property, which are the areas we are professionally trained."

But Mr Vincent's job isn't over just yet come inspection day he arrives early to ensure the home is breezy and light filled - by opening up all the windows, switching on fans and spraying air freshener.

"It's the little things that you can do such as creating ambience that make a house somewhere a buyer would want to call home."